Perfect Fifths

A perfect 5th consists of 7 semitones.

One way to find a perfect fifth is to count 7 semitones up or down on a piano keyboard: 1 3 6

2 4 5 7

What note is a perfect 5th above C? What note is a perfect 5th above G? What note is a perfect 5th above D? What note is a perfect 5th above A? Interesting Trivia What note is a perfect 5th below C? What note is a perfect 5th below F? What note is a perfect 5th below B flat? The term “perfect” has a very long history, and dates back to What note is a perfect 5th below E flat? the middle ages where it was used in a type of music called Organum.

Draw perfect 5ths above the following notes:

         Circle the interval below which is NOT a perfect 5th:           

Circle the five melodic perfect 5ths in this melody. The first one has been done for you:

             

                 

C The circle of fifths is a diagram that helps us to F G key signature of 1 flat key signature of know how many sharps and flats are in each key, 1 sharp Bb key signature of D 2 sharps key signature of and how they are related to one another. 2 flats

key signature of 3 sharps Eb A key signature of 3 flats

key signature of 4 sharps key signature of 4 flats E Ab key signature of 5 flats key signature of 5 sharps key signature of Db 6 sharps or 6 flats B FB/Gb

Start drawing the circle of fifths by drawing a C at the top and middle of the circle: C

To figure out what comes next, simply count a perfect 5th up from the C, which is G: C G

Continue around the next two circles and you’ll have the keys of D and A:

C G D

The number of sharps increases by 1 as you go around the right hand side of the circle:

C key signature of 1 sharp G D key signature of 2 sharps

A key signature of 3 sharps

On the other side of the circle, you can go down a perfect fifth from C, which is F:

C F

Reproducible if current license for this product is owned at funmusicco.com Printable Music Theory Books - Book Two Page 7 © 2009 The Fun Music Company Pty Ltd Continuing down from F we have B flat and E flat:

C F key signature of 1 flat

Bb key signature of 2 flats

Eb key signature of 3 flats

You can continue and make the whole circle like this: C F G key signature of 1 flat key signature of 1 sharp

Bb key signature of D 2 sharps key signature of 2 flats

key signature of 3 sharps Eb A key signature of 3 flats

key signature of 4 sharps key signature of 4 flats E Ab key signature of 5 flats key signature of 5 sharps key signature of Db 6 sharps or 6 flats B FB/Gb

Referring to the circle of 5ths diagram answer the following questions:

What major key has a key signature of 4 sharps? ______

What major key has a key signature of 3 flats? ______

How many flats does the key of A flat major have? ______

How many sharps does the key of B major have? ______

Reproducible if current license for this product is owned at funmusicco.com Printable Music Theory Books - Book Two Page 8 © 2009 The Fun Music Company Pty Ltd Complete the circle of 5ths below, and indicate how many sharps or flats each key has:

Complete:

The key of C Major has ______sharps or flats.

The key of G Major has _____ sharp. Helpful Hint The key of D major has two ______. It’s easy to remember The key of A major has ______sharps. the number of keys in the circle of 5ths - just think The key of F major has one ______. of a Clock! There are 12 Keys The key of B flat major has ______flats. C major at 12 O’Clock G major at 1 O’Clock The key of E flat major has ______flats. etc., etc....